(Re)connect

Mom and Mary are here and we're having a blast!! We've had so much fun already and I don't want them to leave!! They are staying at the most adorable B&B only a few blocks from my apartment. We had so much fun having wine and cheese there that we have hardly been at my place! We feel like princesses in the perfectly decorated "Ruby" room! Perfect timing for the Royal Wedding! Here's a shot of our cheese and fruit! 

Smoked provolone, havarti, bleu goat, and sharp cheddar

The perfect snack in our perfect B&B

(Re)Fresh

Good morning!!! I was almost grumpy today when I woke up sweaty and had Robbie telling me "We should probably pick up since your mom is coming today..." He's oh so sweet since anyone who knows Robbie and I know that everything lying on the floor is mine. After throwing a heat induced fit, I put the french press in the freezer and went out to get some fresh Philly air. (Does that exist?) I walked by my favorite flower place, and couldn't resist the hyacinth and tulips! They instantly cured my case of the grumps, and made my house smell wonderful!! They will be the perfect center piece for a glass of wine with my mom and aunt tonight!!! Check out my 3 arrangements for every inch of my house! 

More to come!

  The kitchen 

The living room

The bathroom

Mmmm...now I'm in a good mood.

(Re)Do

After a few failed attempts at a soft boiled egg this morning, I finally got the timing juuuust right! 4.5 minutes in a boiling pot. I LOVED eating soft boiled eggs when I was a little kid. My mom has the cutest egg cups and I remember always fighting over the coolest cup with my brother. (Man, we could fight about anything couldn't we?) Well, since my mom is coming tomorrow I thought I would practice so I can get it just right for her. The only problem I had was the lack of egg cups! After rummaging in the cupboards and not even finding a shot glass, I saw the bag of biscuits I made last week. I cut an egg sized hole in the middle of the stale biscuit and plopped my egg right in there! If only they were fresh...it would have been so yummy to soak up the yolk with! Woo hoo for improvising! Now I have a new take on soft boiled eggs to share with my momma tomorrow!!!! 

Make-shift egg cup

Have a wonderful day!!

(Re)Focus

I believe I have what you call a chocolate hangover. We went to Anna's hometown for Easter weekend and ate candy nonstop. I'm not kidding...I think Anna's mom hooked us up to an IV while we were sleeping. After seriously contemplating pouring milk over a bowl of butterfinger eggs, I decided I have a problem. I'm addicted to chocolate. After admitting I had a problem, I searched for something healthy in my fridge. Fruit. Coffee. Thats IT! Any other morning I would be ticked and want more, but the new me (recovering candy addict me) is quite satisfied with this first meal of the day.

 Orange ya glad I didn't have chocolate

for breakfast!?

The adorable Easter card Anna made me ♥

Be prepared for some yummy things this week! My mom and Auntie Mary are coming Wednesday! Haverberg girls take Philly!! 

(Re)Vamp

Being from Minnesota, I've had wild rice in about 3 forms. Mayo filled salad form, chicken wild rice soup form, and...I can't think of another one!! I decided to get creative with my last pack of wild rice that I brought to Philly. Here's what I came up with!!

Mayo-less Wild Rice Salad

2 cup wild rice (cooked)

1/4 cup crasins 

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp orange zest

Salt and pepper to taste

*In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, orange zest, salt and pepper.

*Add the cooked rice, crasins, and almonds

*I let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors soak into the rice.

*Green onions would be great on top, I just didn't have any!

Mayo-less Wild Rice Salad

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Blueberry Wild Rice Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

4 tbs oil

3 tbs agave nectar

2 eggs

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 cup fresh blueberries

*Mix flour, baking powder, and salt

*Add milk, oil, agave nectar, and eggs

*Mix until all the bumps are out

*Fold in the rice and blueberries

*Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until tops are brown.

*Eat for breakfast, or with soup! 

UFFDA! THESE ARE GOOD!!

Blueberry Wild Rice Muffins

(Re)Think

I love food. Obviously. But I also love being healthy. I love making food that everyone loves which is why I don't usually make the healthiest things...Well this morning after I made my cream based biscuits I thought I should maybe (Re)Think my breakfasts and snacks. I'm being realistic in the sense that not every meal can be a healthy one, so breakfast and snack time is where I'm going to start! Here's my recipe for homemade granola. I've become obsessed after learning how to make it at Pure Fare! I didn't know it was so easy to make!! It'll conquer that sweet tooth, and give you a boost of grains! Get creative with the ingredients, this just my version and a base just to start off of!!

Cranberry Maple Pecan Granola

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup crasins, lightly chopped

1/2 cup maple syrup (real maple syrup! No Aunt Jemima)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs oil (I used grape seed)

pinch of salt

*Mix all ingredients together

*Spread on baking sheet

*bake in a 300 degree oven for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure it evenly cooks.

*Eat with yogurt, alone, or package it and give it to a friend!

Enjoy the healthy recipe :)

Just out of the oven! Mmmmmmm

Perfect gift idea!

Have a happy, healthy day!

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UPDATE!!!

I made another batch of granola! Here's the recipe

Almond Prune Granola

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup prunes, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs oil

1/4 tsp vanilla

pinch of nutmeg

*Mix ingredients in a large bowl

*Spread on a baking sheet

*Bake in 300 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes to get an even brown!  

(Re)Schedule

Ahhh....the perfect remedy for "senioritis": Two classes canceled and a full fridge. I'm using this morning to get organized (laundry, organize closet, figure out my schedule) AND work on a new recipe! I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all of this extra sage I have in the fridge and I made the most delicious concoction this morning!! Sage Parmesan Biscuits! I'm really loving biscuits right now, and I've found a few different ways to make them without buttermilk. Here's my cream biscuit version!! Enjoy!

Sage Parmesan Biscuits

Makes 12 

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbs finely chopped fresh sage

2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese

1-1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

*Mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, sage, and parmesan in medium sized bowl.

*Slowly add cream (use more or less if dry)

*Kneed for 1 minute and pat into a square about 1/2" thick

*Cut into 12 pieces and round off corners

*Place on baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and top with parmesan cheese.

*Bake 6 at a time for about 12 minutes in a 425 degree oven or until golden brown.

*Enjoy!!!

(Re)Heat (Re)charge

You know the biscuits I made yesterday?? Well, I didn't really make anything for them to GO with!! Oops! Well this morning for breakfast I found the perfect companion. The poached egg. It's my favorite way to have an egg, and even better accompanied by a cheezy chivey biscuit! Just saw it in half, poach a couple eggs, plop it all together and add some fresh chives/salt/pepper on top and call it a morning! A yummy protein filled morning!

 

Happy Monday!!!

(Re)Write--A new take on a tradition

It was a very long day of baking, cooking, drinking champagne, and watching Disney movies...I'm sure you're feeling sooooo bad for me. It was so much fun and I'm not complaining one bit! After I took a nap and Robbie returned from playing tennis, he was hungry AGAIN and I was ready to cook AGAIN. I bought a ton of sage and mushrooms at the market so I decided to make some sort of stroganoff. Since I don't eat meat, I never get to have this wonderful thing at family potlucks! I didn't have the classic egg noodles, but I'll definitely get those next time! Here's my take on the church basement classic!!

  

Mushroom Sage Stroganoff

4 servings

*Ingredients*

2 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

about 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 package baby portobello mushrooms

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

whole wheat spaghetti (or egg noodles if you have'm)

*Saute shallots, garlic, and mushrooms in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until mushrooms begin to soften.

*Add the wine and let it cook down (about 5 mins)

*Add 1 cup of the cream and sage, let it simmer until it thickens (about 15-20 mins) 

*Add remaining cream as needed or to desired thickness.

*Add parmesan cheese and stir in until melted.

*Serve over your choice of noodles!

Mushroom Sage Stroganoff (sorry the picture is dark!)

And if you are indeed bringing this dish to a church basement (especially if you're in Minnesota) make sure you learn this Norwegian table prayer...

Have a wonderful Monday!! 

(Re)lax!!

I started my day by going to the market. It was basically a monsoon yesterday so I was so happy to walk to the market without blowing away in the nasty rain!! I spotted some rhubarb while at the market and instantly craved my grandma's rhubarb crisp. I decided to make my own twist on gram's recipe and got some strawberries! It was a perfect breakfast, and even more perfect with the mimosas Anna made!! Yay for morning baking!! ENJOY! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling

8oz strawberries, chopped 

6 stalks of rhubarb chopped in 1/4" cubes

1/2 cup white sugar

Crisp

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

*Rinse and cut strawberries and rhubarb. Mix with sugar in a bowl, and pour into a 9x13 pan and set aside.

*In a large bowl, stir flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the melted butter until it crumbs form. 

*Spoon crumbs over the rhubarb and strawberries. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 mins.

*Serve warm with ice cream! To reheat, put in a 250 degree oven for 10-15 mins.

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Next on the cook-athon was cheddar chive biscuits. I found about 3 different recipes in some cooking magazines I have, and I didn't have the right ingredients for any of them. So I mixed a few different ones together and hoped for the best! Here's what happened! (Don't worry this story has a happy ending!)

Cheddar Chive Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter (grated)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
4 tablespoons chives (chopped)

*Mix flour, soda, and baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

*Use a cheese grater to grate butter into the mixture, and use your hands to mix it all together.

*Mix in cheese

*Add the sour cream last and mix with your hands 

*Plop the mixture onto a floured counter and form it into a rectangle about 1" thick.

*Cut into 6 biscuits and form with your hands to round them out a bit. (picture)

*Place on baking sheet and bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 mins

Cut biscuits into 6 equal square and round off corners

Finished product!! Yummmmm

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Our Onion Ricotta Frittata just got out of the oven! We had a couple of "blonde" moments which led to some laughs, but no major set backs. You're suppose to cook the frittata in a pan for a few minutes to harden in and then put the whole pan in the oven, but we weren't sure if our pan could go in the oven, so we just skipped the stove part all together and put the frittata in a pie pan. If you have a nice cast iron pan (unlike us poor college kids) you can cook the frittata in the pan and then transfer it into the oven. It will have a shorter cooking time, so watch it. 


Onion Ricotta Frittata (fun to say, huh!?)
Ingredients
8 large eggs
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
3 large sage leaves, minced
3 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup ricotta cheese


*Whisk together the eggs, parmesan, sage, basil, salt, and pepper, set aside
*Saute onions in olive oil until translucent 
*Pour onions and egg mixture into pie dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until eggs start to harden) take out and dollop ricotta evenly around the dish.
*bake for about 10 more minutes or until golden brown
*Let cool and cut like a pie!

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Last (at least before my nap) on this non-stop-cooking morning is a fruity morning cocktail! Anna and I have been having such a fun morning baking, cooking, and drinking champagne! This drink deserves to be by the ocean! But your kitchen works too :)


Strawberry Basil Spritzzzz


2 Strawberries
1 Large basil leaf
2 lemon wedges
1 tsp white sugar
champagne (the cheaper the better!)


*Muddle together diced strawberries, loosely chopped basil, sugar, and one lemon wedge in a glass. 
*Pour champagne over 
*Garnish with 2nd lemon wedge
*Enjoy with your best friend!

Happy (Palm)Sunday!! Enjoy your day!!!

Pure Fare

I'm starting my new job next week at Pure Fare. A healthy, all natural, fast casual restaurant and coffee bar. It's located on 21st and Walnut right by Rittenhouse Square in Philly! The owners are a young, hip, brother/sister duo who have started the brand "Pure Fare" from the very bottom. They believe in giving healthy options to people on the go. There menu is amazing, their coffee bar is top notch only serving Blue Bottle Coffee (from San Francisco, the ONLY place in Philly you can get it!!), and they have an interactive online platform that you can track what you are putting in your body. Don't worry! It's NOT a diet plan. It's just a way to be conscious of what you eat, and give guidelines on how to live a healthy lifestyle. It tracks everything on the Pure Fare menu as well as 30,000 other foods! OH, and it's FREE! I'm so excited to start working with the amazing staff and products! The grand opening is Monday! Can't wait! 

(Re)peat---Leftovers!

I had an amazing breakfast this morning! Robbie and I don't usually get to spend our mornings together since he leaves for work just as I'm waking up. He got to go in late today, so we slept in and watched an episode of Scrubs (we're watching from the beginning and we're OBSESSED!) I usually have breakfast around 8, so when I didn't get around to eating until 10 I was pretty hungry! I started in on the poached eggs and decided to make it brunch by toasting some of last nights baguette, spreading on the pesto, and topping it all off with some grated pepper jack! The eggs were perfect, just like my momma makes'm, and the garlic and spice of the cheese was a perfect brunch on this beautiful spring day! 

Poached Eggs on Basil Pesto Baguette 

(Re)charge---Breakfast for Dinner

After a very long day (production class, african dance, modern with Ms Kim, jazz, and a show) I got home and all I wanted was ice cream. Being that the roomies and I (mostly the girls...) have almost polished of a huge tub of it in a matter of 2 weeks, I decided I'd better lay off. Instead, I made a bowl of oatmeal with crushed pecans and honey. It was sweet, filling, and a heck of a lot healthier than ice cream! Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to change into my pjs since I'm SO SORE!!! Wish me luck!! Hope you all had a great day!!

(Re)energize

This week is a long one for me with 4 shows. I decided to make the best of this 1 hour break I have on Wednesdays and have a yummy drink. Even though I live around the corner from Starbucks, it's nice to have something at home and not feel guilty for asking for extra whipped cream. I just brewed some espresso in my Italian coffee maker, boiled some milk, stirred in some chocolate syrup and piled on the whipped cream!! A perfect treat for this long day! 

Extra whip please!!!

Friday is only 2 days away! 

(Re)plenish--Morning Picnic

After our exciting night out, we decided to wake up early before Kaitlin's flight home and have a picnic at Rittenhouse Square. We brought egg and cheese bagels, grapefruit, orange juice, and coffee. It was a great start to the day, and a good way to send off our friend! Here's a couple of shots of our morning! Enjoy!

Everything bagel with fried egg and cheddar cheese! 

Take that Dunkin Donuts! 

Grapefruit and grass :)

Lookin' good even after a long night at Mixto! Love you both!

It feels good to wake up before you have to if it means playing in the park and eating good food! 

(Re)unite

My friend Kaitlin was visiting this weekend so we took her to one of our favorite restaurants in Philly, Mixto. They have an amazing drink menu. We had a pitcher of caipririnha's, a Brazilian sugar cane liquor called cachaca mixed with muddled limes. We decided to eat at the bar so we could watch the Frozen Four hockey game. (If you're wondering, Duluth won in overtime and we were the only ones screaming at the tv.) I was feeling a bit nostalgic for our South American adventure so I decided to order ceviche. It was a good decision!! Jumbo shrimp, halibut, octopus, and clams all "cooked" in lime juice, served with plantain chips! It was incredible!! Robbie had Ropa Vieja or "Old Clothes" which is a bubbling pot of whatever is left in the fridge! It must have been good since he ate every last bite! Kaitlin had a mixed plate of veggies that was served with rice and beans, it was all cooked to perfection and definitely didn't seem like a boring "vegetarian option." If you're ever in Philly you have to go to Mixto. They serve brunch, lunch, dinner, and of course happy hour all day!

Ceviche at Mixto

Minnesota Ceviche Recipe

After Robbie and I got back from Peru we were hooked on ceviche. It's definitely not a common dish in northern Minnesota, though it should be with all the lakes!! For Christmas we made walleye ceviche for my VERY Norwegian family and it was a hit! Even those who eat lutefisk were impressed! 

2 lb freshly caught walleye

enough squeezed limes to cover (about 1.5 cups)

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 sliced jalapeno 

2 tsp salt

cilantro

*cut walleye into 1/4x1/4" cubes 

*place fish, onion, and jalapeno in a glass bowl

*squeeze limes until fully covering ingredients

*Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for at least 3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure all of the fish gets cooked by the acid.

*Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with crackers, tortillas, chips, and a pisco sour! (I'll try to find a recipe for those too!)

(Re)joice!---Robbie's Birthday Bash

It was Robbie's 26th birthday last week, and what better way to celebrate his being closer to 30 than 20 than with a surprise party! If you know me, you'd know that keeping secrets from Robbie is not an easy task for me. This surprise was no different than any unfortunately....I managed to ruin the surprise pretty early in the week. Oh well! He acted surprised for the guests so they could all hide in the dark and sing when he walked in the door. Another reason why I love'm! ANYWAY! I took the opportunity for a party and ran with it. The spinach, artichoke, AND crab dip was a hit (probably because I didn't tell anyone how many calories there are per serving...) roasted tomatoes, yummy bread, olives, an ice cream sundae bar, and a jug of tequila-ginger ale got the guests there. I'll post recipes for ya'll under the pics! Enjoy, celebrate loved ones, and eat A LOT. Cheers!

SURPRISE!! He blew out all the candles!!

Roasted Tomatoes

1 package grape tomatoes

1 handful lightly chopped fresh basil

1 large clove roughly chopped garlic

1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil

salt and pepper

*Heat oven to 400 degrees

 *Wash tomatoes and place in small glass pan

*Pour olive oil over toms until about halfway covering them.

*chop basil and garlic and mix into dish

*Sprinkle parmesan

*Lightly dust over with salt and pepper

*Put in over at 400 degrees for 20 mins

*Turn oven down to 350 and let cook about 15 mins more

*Serve with toasted french bread or crackers

Spinach, Artichoke,& Crab Dip

16oz Cream Cheese (2 packages)

1/2 c mayonnaise 

2 T. Lemon juice

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp minced garlic

1 T. parsley
16 oz. crab meat (can be artificial)
2 c. shredded 5 cheese blend(all white cheeses)
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
2 cans artichoke hearts (in water, not marinated)
2 lbs. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

*In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese until smooth

*Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well

*Transfer mixture into crock pot and cook on high from 2 hours

*Turn to low and serve hot with sliced french bread

The birthday boy with the ice cream sundae bar!

Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Tub of vanilla ice cream

Brownies

M&M's 

Gummy worms

peanuts

Wafer cookies

cherries

whipped cream

chocolate syrup

Hot caramel

You can really get creative with your presentation for the sundae bar. I used martini glasses to display toppings, and used clear plastic cups for the guests to make their creations. 

Spring Tequila/Ginger/Lime Cocktail

In a large drink dispenser mix:

1 parts tequila (Jose Quervo Gold)

2 parts ginger ale

2 limes squeezed

Keep cups and extra limes by the dispenser for guests to help themselves. This cocktail is a refreshing taste of spring! You can also use the raspberry ginger ale to give the cocktail a beautiful pink hue! 

Thanks to everyone who came to the party! It was so much fun celebrating Robbie's day with such fun people, good food, and lots of laughs! xoxo

UPDATE!!

Leftovers!! 

I made a wonderful lunch today with the leftovers from the party.

After toasting some bread, I spread on some basil pesto, piled the leftover dip and tomatoes, and sliced some onion to top it all off. Mmmmmm what a lovely Monday treat! Now all I have to do is try to resist the left over ice cream! 

Happy Monday!


UPDATE #2!!

More Leftovers!!
I feel like we'll be eating leftovers from this party for weeks! Here's my breakfast made from 2 eggs, left over roasted tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Mmmm garlic-y-protein-filled goodness! 
Happy Tuesday!




UPDATE #3!!

MORE Leftovers!!!
This is the never ending meal! I just watched Eat Pray Love for the first time and was inspired by the Eat section. Here's my carb filled version of the leftover party food! 

*Boil whole wheat pasta

*On medium heat saute mushrooms and left over roasted tomatoes (no need to add olive oil, the toms have enough!)

*Add left over artichoke dip when mushrooms are soft.

*Stir in a couple tablespoons of basil pesto 

*Add noodles and toss!

*Enjoy your the leftover meal that tastes anything but leftover!